


take caution when it comes to love

by TheLastOfTheRealOnes



Series: Stray Kids Supernatural Creatures AU [4]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angel Kim Woojin, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dark Angel Lee Minho | Lee Know, Fluff, Half-Demon Yang Jeongin, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I Tried, Merman Hwang Hyunjin, Merman Kim Seungmin, Non-Idol, Siren Bang Chan, Siren Han Jisung | Han, Siren Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Witch Seo Changbin, Working through issues like adults, except whats an adult?, hyunjin seungmin and jeongin become good at communicating, im so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:01:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25762537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLastOfTheRealOnes/pseuds/TheLastOfTheRealOnes
Summary: "So," Felix said."We've noticed a few things," Jisung continued."About you-" Felix said."-and some other friends of ours." Jisung finished."What are you... talking about?" Seungmin asked, though in his heart he feared he already knew what they would say.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Woojin, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Past Yang Jeongin/Original Male Character (who was an asshole)
Series: Stray Kids Supernatural Creatures AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730728
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

I redid both Seungmin and Jeongin's collages, but Hyunjin's hasn't been messed with lmao. 

Speaking of messing with things, literally what is it with me and changing the plot halfway through writing it?? I had it all worked out in my notes, then suddenly, BAM! My brain was like, "Nah fam, that's not how it happens". So, yeah. Here ya go! This is the last work in this series, so there's that. I'm sad that it's done, but at the same time I'm happy because these were tough to write. But I think I did alright! I especially love ChangLix's story, lmao.

Anyways, as usual, here's the collages:

JEONGIN: 

  
  
SEUNGMIN: 

  
  
HYUNJIN:   
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :') this isn't 11,000 words like i originally wanted it to be, but here's like... 9k of... of something

Seeing Felix and Changbin get together was excited, really it was. It was also a little painful, actually. Jeongin was so happy for his friends, but he couldn't help but feel down. All the others (sans Hyunjin and Seungmin) had gotten together happily. It made Jeongin worry. That's what he'd been like with... well, he'd rather not say the name. But that's what he'd been like. Was any of them going to get their hearts broken too? Except, he realized the thought wasn't rational, since all of his friends were sincere people and cared a lot about each other. He didn't think that any of them would be so cruel. 

He laid out on the grass in his backyard, wings spread out behind him. It had taken a while for him to be comfortable with them, but his friends had helped a lot. There were times he couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if... _he_ found out about Jeongin being a half-demon. Would he have done the same thing that he did to Jisung? Jeongin shook his head as if that could clear the thoughts from his mind. It wasn't worth dwelling on. 

The sun stretched across the sky, reminding him of hugs and blankets. He missed daily hugs from his friends. Chan and Felix had gone to Australia to visit their family pods, and Jisung had gone to Malaysia to visit his grandparents. Changbin was busy with work, Hyunjin and Minho were taking extra dance classes, and Seungmin was studying for a school exam. Woojin was available most of the time, but Jeongin could tell that the angel was probably getting a little tired of seeing Jeongin every day. 

Jeongin huffed and sat up, stretching his arms and then legs. There was one thing he could always do. He took off at a run into the house, shouting goodbye to his parents and slamming the door shut behind him. He ran down the street, not quite sure why he was running.

It took him a few minutes to get to the cove, and by the time he was there, he was out of breath. He climbed over the rocks and dropped onto the pristine white sand. After catching his breath again, Jeongin pulled his shirt off and tucked it behind a rock. He then turned to the water and after a few seconds of hesitation, jumped in. 

He hit the water with a splash and sank beneath the surface. When he was submerged, he kicked with his feet and propelled himself with his wings. It was harder to beat them in the water, but they were excellent for moving. Jeongin swam out of the cove and marveled at the sea beneath him. There were all kinds of fish, plants, and other things to see. He ran a hand along the length of a bright coral and smiled. 

When he felt he was far enough away from the shore (and his lungs were beginning to hurt), he swam to the surface and poked his head up. He took in a few breaths and looked to see that he had swum farther from the shore than he had last time. He smiled at the accomplishment and then opened his wings. It took a few tries, but he eventually got them above the water enough to pull himself into the air. 

Jeongin flapped his wings and shot up into the sky, wind rushing all around him. He let out a happy shout that was swallowed by the wind. Up here he was free to soar away from his unhappy thoughts, and he didn't have to wonder and worry. He burst through the clouds and even though he was soaked once again, smiled even wider. 

# 💔💔💔💔

Hyunjin had a free day and Seungmin was finished studying, so Jeongin proposed that they spend the day together. Both agreed and they were now tangled together on Woojin's couch watching a movie. The angel was out shopping and wouldn't be back for another hour or so. Everything was going well, with Jeongin resting his legs on Seungmin's lap, and leaning against Hyunjin. Nothing strange or out of ordinary going on. 

So why did he feel so weird? His stomach was a mess of knots, and he couldn't figure out why. He screwed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around himself, glad that the other two were paying attention to the movie. Maybe he was getting sick? But he hadn't felt like that earlier that morning.

Perhaps it was something else... but what exactly? Jeongin could recall feeling that same way before, but that was when... well when he was still dating. Every time Jeongin was with a certain person, he would feel that same way. His stomach in knots, his heart thumping louder, his hands fidgeting. But that couldn't be it. It couldn't. 

He shook his head, dismissing the idea. He couldn't afford to fall in love again, not when he still wasn't sure if it was worth going through all that again. Not when he wasn't sure if he could handle anything bad happening again. He still felt fragile, and although he'd gotten help from his friends, he didn't want to make the same mistake twice. He just wasn't prepared to be heartbroken again. 

Neither of the elder boys noticed Jeongin spacing out, and he smoothed out his features and focused again on the movie. But if either did notice Jeongin slowly pulling away, they didn't comment either. Hyunjin frowned but adjusted himself, and Seungmin cast a glance in Jeongin's direction. Then they were back to normal. 

# 💔💔💔💔

There were some days when Hyunjin felt like the ground beneath him was tilting, and he was helpless as the ground tumbled away. When he walked into Chan and Woojin's apartment and saw Jeongin curled up between the two, drying tears staining his cheeks, he felt that sensation again. 

Jeongin would normally go to Chan or Jisung first when he needed comfort, but he'd always tell Hyunjin that something was wrong. They just had that sort of connection. 

When the three turned to look at Hyunjin, his eyes widened and he rushed past all of them, into the kitchen where he knew he had left a charger the night before. He grabbed it quickly and mumbled something about stopping by to pick it up before he was out the door again. Call him a baby, but his emotions were ready to spill from his eyes, and he didn't want them to see him crying over something stupid like that. 

When he finally made his way back home, he slammed the door shut and brushed right past his dog, who was barking at him for attention. And possibly food (he'd given Kkami food earlier that morning, so he wasn't too concerned). Hyunjin flopped onto his bed and screamed into his pillow, wondering why he was so idiotic.

After all, he wasn't Jeongin's only friend. And Jeongin wasn't obligated to tell him anything. If the younger wasn't feeling okay, he had the right to keep it a secret from whomever he pleased. But Hyunjin couldn't deny that it hurt, it really hurt. 

He buried his face further into the pillow and groaned. What was wrong with him?

# 💔💔💔💔

Seungmin's always had trust issues. They didn't show that often, but they were there. He'd long gotten past the stage where he didn't quite trust his friends. He knew that they would always have his back, and he returned the favor. But letting them even closer to him was out of the question. 

For about 6 of his friends (WooChan, ChangLix, and MinSung), that was because they were already dating. For Hyunjin and Jeongin, it was because the thought of trusting yourself to someone else seemed horrifying to him. After all, Seungmin had done that once before. Hell, Jeongin had done that once before, so at least the younger would understand, to some degree. 

It wasn't with a significant other, though. For Seungmin, it had been with his family pod. He had two friends and both of them he'd trusted his life with at one point. But then they'd both left him when he had needed them most. 

**~~** The Past **~~**

_There had been several instances where someone spotted a shark near their pod home. That wasn't a big deal (since sharks rarely attacked them), but everyone was required to stay away from them because they could be provoked into attacking. One of these instances, while everyone swam to the far side of the reef, Seungmin and two friends of his swam closer to the shark._

_The eldest of the three, Dahee, had been the first to swim towards the shark. The creature eyed her warily but turned away and lazily swam away. They followed it and Seungmin watched as the other boy (Jaeyong) swam up to it as well. This time, Jaeyong managed to flick his fin at the shark, though this caused it to snap at him. Shrieking, he swam backward as fast as he could and ended up slamming into a rock formation._

_Seungmin had been leaning against the formation and blinked in confusion as he heard a slight rumbling noise. But he ignored it and watched as Dahee once again went up to the shark. She giggled as she backed away, this time picking up a rock and tossing it towards the shark. Dahee hadn't intended to hit it, but she was strong and ended up smacking it right on the head._

_Her eyes widened as she also propelled herself backward, slamming into the same rocks just as the shark whipped around to face the three of them. The rumbling noise grew louder and Seungmin looked up just as the top of the rocks came tumbling towards them. He tried to get out of the way but was knocked into the rocks by the tails of the other two. Rocks came raining down on him and he was trapped underneath one, his arm squished by the rock and definitely broken._

_He tried to pull himself out, but the rock wouldn't budge. He turned to look at the shark and found it swimming towards him. Seungmin hadn't been anything more than worried before, but now he was downright terrified. He cried out but no one seemed to hear him. Perhaps his friends had gone to get help? He hoped so._

_Opening its jaws wide, the shark bore towards him, snapping at him. He whipped his tail out of the way just in time, but the shark turned around and came right at him once again. This time he screamed and screamed and curled up in a tight ball, waiting for the shark to devour him..._

_But it never did._

_He heard loud sounds, and what might have been shouting, but he didn't care. His arm hurt, he was about to be mauled by a shark, and he was going to have to tell his parents what had happened. He could already see their disappointed faces flashing before his eyes, and he wanted to cry._

_But after a few minutes, he dared to look up. A few feet away, his older brother flicked his tail, watching the retreating back of the shark. The creature had blood trailing behind it, and Seungmin noticed that his brother had a gash on his tail as well. He winced as his brother pushed the rock off of his arm, and then readily accepted the hand that was offered to him._

_Neither spoke on the way back to the pod._

_When they finally got there, Seungmin immediately spotted Dahee and Jaeyong, but his jaw dropped. Both were just casually talking to one of the elders, Dahee even telling the elder that they had just come back from pearl foraging. Seungmin clenched his hands into fists, ignoring the way that his palms stung. His brother placed a hand on his shoulder, curiously watching where Seungmin's gaze went._

_"What happened?" His brother asked._

_Seungmin looked up at him, sure that he would be crying if they were on land. "Those slimy eels left me for shark bait! Dahee was the one who hit the shark, and she and Jaeyong both made the rocks fall on me!" He knew he sounded like a whining child with the tone he used, but it just wasn't fair! They were acting as if they hadn't been provoking the shark. As if they hadn't left Seungmin to die if it weren't for his brother._

_Speaking of his brother, the elder let out a hum, narrowing his eyes._

_That night, Dahee and Jaeyong's mothers dragged them over to where Seungmin was sitting by his own mother. Dahee went first, apologizing about putting him in danger. Then Jaeyong apologized as well, though he added that they hadn't come back because they'd seen Seungmin's brother on his way, so they thought that Seungmin would be fine. It was a believable story... But Seungmin couldn't help but feel a little upset._

_Their mothers were all appeased, however, and had the three go off to play somewhere else. Close to the pod, they added. Seungmin trailed after Dahee and Jaeyong, watching as the two mumbled to each other. And when the three were about a ship length away from the pod, Dahee turned back and said in a sickly sweet voice, "That must have been scary, trapped under the rock while the shark was there."_

_Seungmin nodded, though he couldn't understand why he felt goosebumps on his arms. But... They had apologized, so there was no reason for him to be scared. He nodded again, this time adding, "It was... I thought I was all alone."_

_What he didn't expect was for a tail to smack his side, causing him to face plant into the sand. Jaeyong settled his weight on top of Seungmin and growled a warning when Seungmin tried to throw him off._

_Dahee took over, bringing her face close to Seungmin's. "You really think that we care about you? Stop whining about your problems and grow up. After all, who cares about your pathetic problems? We certainly don't."_

_And with that, both left him. This time they left him broken in an entirely different way, and this way wasn't quite so easy to heal._

**~~** The Present **~~**

Seungmin snapped back to his thoughts, grimacing at the unhappy memories. After that, he hadn't trust anyone in their pod. He didn't play with the other children anymore, he didn't talk much to anyone, and he even stopped playing with his brother. Dahee and Jaeyong's words had cut deeper than any knife or shark tooth could. 

It took him a long time to let himself get comfortable with his friends now, but it had happened and he felt like he could talk to them about his problems and they would listen and actually care. But to be in a relationship would mean an altogether different kind of trust that he wasn't ready to deal with. 

# 💔💔💔💔

Sprawled out on his couch, Chan lazily watched as Woojin reorganized the movie shelf. He should probably be helping, but he had no clue what Woojin wanted to do about organizing them, so he was more content to just watch the angel. Though... There was also a lot going on in his mind that constantly drew his attention. 

Chan hadn't voiced his concerns to his boyfriend yet, and the quiet atmosphere seemed like a great time to do so. He cleared his throat, and when Woojin looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he said, "I've been thinking."

Woojin chuckled. "That's a first."

"Hey!" Chan looked at Woojin with a glare, sitting up. He pointed a finger at the angel. "Just because I sometimes forget how the oven works doesn't mean you can clown me for it!" 

"I never said anything about the oven, _love,_ " Woojin said, drawing out the nickname with a smirk.

"But you were thinking about it..." Chan muttered, crossing his arms. 

Woojin just laughed again and walked over to the couch. He sat down next to Chan and turned towards him. "What were you thinking about?"

Chan's glare fell away and he hummed. "Our friends." 

"Not a surprise," Woojin said. 

"Anyways, I've noticed that Jeongin's been acting a little weird." Chan rubbed his forehead. All this thinking and observing has been giving him a killer headache, not to mention how little he slept.

Woojin huffed. "Jeongin always acts weird." 

"No- like, he's been _really_ weird lately. And only around Hyunjin and Seungmin." Chan turned his head and looked at Woojin through his bangs. 

Woojin met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. "Only those two? I guess that's a little odd... What do you think?"

"I don't know! They've always been tight-knit, but ever since you-know-who, Jeongin's never really been the same. Don't you agree?" Chan's expression darkened as he thought of Jeongin's ex, and how much pain the merman had caused to their friend group. Especially to Jeongin.

Woojin nodded, his face mirroring Chan's grim frown. "I agree." Then he sighed. "I have a guess as to what it could be, but I don't want to assume anything yet. I'll have to watch the other two before I can make any certain guesses."

"You don't think..." Chan trailed off, gesturing his hands in the air. 

Woojin's mouth quirked up in a smile and he rolled his eyes. "Dork." He flicked Chan's forehead, before standing up and walking over to the shelves to resume his organizing. 

"You never answered my question!" 

Woojin chose to ignore Chan's whines. "Hey, we should have a movie night with everyone!"

"BITCH!" 

# 💔💔💔💔

Call him clingy, or annoying, but Hyunjin loved physical contact. There was a reason he was known as the octopus of the group (and no, it had nothing to do with him being a merman). He liked having constant physical contact with the people he was close to. Unfortunately, he knew that it sometimes made them uncomfortable. 

Actually, only half of them really never got uncomfortable. Woojin and Chan were just ready to give hugs whenever, Jisung loved getting physical affection, and Felix was a cuddle bug in every sense. Seungmin and Jeongin shied away from physical contact, Minho seemed to have a small capacity of what he could take (unless it was Jisung), and Changbin would screech if you hugged him (unless you were Felix). COUGH-WHIPPED-COUGH.

That, and it was easy for Hyunjin to fall for someone. First, it was with a person he used to swim with whenever their pods passed each other. Hyunjin thought she was pretty and ended up confessing to her one day. She was sad as she said that her pod was moving father up north. Despite feeling a prickle of sadness, Hyunjin accepted that with a smile. The feelings faded away about a week later. Then it was a pretty boy in the human school he attended. The boy was interested in dance, and the two would spend about half an hour after school each day together to dance. 

The boy moved schools the next year, and Hyunjin forgot about him again. Because that was when he met Seungmin. The merman's pod was returning to Korea after spending a few months near America. Hyunjin met Seungmin after his pod returned, and despite Seungmin being distant at first, Hyunjin latched onto him like a leech. It was easy for him to fall for the cold but sometimes really nice merman. 

And then came the rest of their friends. When Hyunjin met Jeongin for the first time, his immediate thought was that Jeongin had to be protected at all costs. He was an adorable baby. But then he found out about Jeongin's teeth (metaphorically). Jeongin was a cheeky boy that wouldn't hesitate to call you out on anything. Hyunjin loved that sharp side to Jeongin's soft appearance, and it made him fall for the younger. 

Of course, whenever Hyunjin fell for someone, the feelings had never been serious. Just fleeting crushes, nothing that would last. So he assumed that as they grew older, the feelings would fade. As they became closer as friends, the feelings never faded, but they did go to the back of Hyunjin's mind. After all, there were more important things to worry about. 

Now that things had calmed down, and Hyunjin was seeing the rest of his friends get together, those feelings came back to the forefront of his mind.

Uh oh... 

# 💔💔💔💔

Every time Jeongin saw Seungmin or Hyunjin, his heart would leap in his chest and his hands would start to shake. His cheeks would heat up whenever they looked at him and if he locked gazes with them, his stomach would flip-flop. These feelings were no stranger to him, but they scared him to no end. He couldn't be in... love... with them!

Not after he already fell in love with someone. Love was just a mistake. _At least for me,_ Jeongin thought as he watched Felix and Changbin laugh together while they watched Jisung destroy Hyunjin at Mario Kart. Changbin's arm was around Felix's waist, and the siren was leaning into the witch's side. They looked like perfect puzzle pieces together, a complete picture. 

And let's not forget about Woojin and Chan. They were the absolute perfect couple at first glance (after that you saw that they were as imperfect as any other couple, but that was besides the point). They just fit so well together. And Minho and Jisung... Jeongin could hardly imagine that Jisung had once punched the elder in the face (a long story).

Jeongin had thought he'd gotten that perfect picture of a couple. But clearly, he'd just been used and then tossed aside. After all, the intentions of... _him_ , clearly hadn't been as pure as Jeongin had thought. He still couldn't believe that his ex's ulterior motives involved hurting his friends. 

After that, Jeongin wasn't going to allow himself to be with anyone else. No matter how badly he wanted to be with them, not matter how close he was to them already. There was no way in hell he'd experience all that pain again. 

# 💔💔💔💔

"So you're telling me that Seungminnie's been acting weird?" Jisung said in between taking a drink of the nasty black coffee that Chan had been drinking earlier. Jisung had pulled an all-nighter the night before and was absolutely bone-tired, so any amount of caffeine -no matter how disgusting- was appreciated.

"Yep," Felix said, popping the 'p'. "Weirder than even us. He's gotten all... I dunno, distant. He doesn't try to hang out as much as he used to, and I swear, he's definitely avoiding Hyunjin!" Felix tugged on his hair, huffing in frustration. 

Jisung hummed, setting the drink down. "Maybe we could try to talk to him about it?" He suggested.

"How? If we try to hard, he'll see what we're doing and won't let us." Felix sighed. 

Jisung's face suddenly brightened and he gave Felix a wicked smirk. "I have an idea. And trust me, it'll definitely work."

# 💔💔💔💔

Despite having a resolve to never let anyone get closer to him, Seungmin couldn't help but notice that out of all of his friends, he constantly gravitated towards Jeongin and Hyunjin. Jeongin because he was the youngest and Seungmin liked being older than him. Hyunjin because who doesn't gravitate towards Hyunjin? Scratch that. Who doesn't get pulled in by Hyunjin's tentacles (holy _shit_ he was clingy). 

Seungmin liked to think of himself as smart and realistic. He could tell that he may be... experiencing attachment beyond platonic boundaries. But that wasn't good. Jeongin had been hurt by his ex, and Seungmin wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. The best option would be to cut off all contact and never think about them again. 

But Seungmin's weak and cutting off all contact would not only hurt himself, it would hurt them as well. And the thought of hurting them made his stomach twist. The other option he could think of was to try and distance himself while still being there. So that's what he did. 

He tried to distance himself, but still participate in their friend group activities. He'd still let himself be dragged to WooChan's apartment for movie nights, he'd still join them for 2 AM outings, he'd still hang out with them while cramming for exams. But he began to feel more emotionally distant, rather than physically distant. It's like he was watching from afar, not really there but not gone. 

It was like looking through a lens, seperated from the sensations and feelings of the world. 

He wasn't quite sure what made him agree, but when Jisung and Felix asked if he'd help them plan a prank on Changbin, he immediately agreed. Seungmin wasn't sure why Felix was so willing to prank his boyfriend, but the elder's response of "because it's fun", satisfied him. 

The three were putting together the final preparations for the prank (involving toothpaste and caution tape). After they finally got it all ready, they discussed a day to play the prank. After Friday that week (it was Wednesday) was chosen, Jisung and Felix both turned to Seungmin with steely expressions. Seungmin looked at them with a confused expression of his own. 

"So," Felix said. 

"We've noticed a few things," Jisung continued.

"About you-" Felix said.

"-and some other _friends_ of ours." Jisung finished. 

"What are you... talking about?" Seungmin asked, though in his heart he feared he already knew what they would say.

Felix dropped his serious face and gave Seungmin a concerned look. "Min, is there a reason you're ignoring Hyunjin?"

Seungmin grimaced as discreetly as possible. "Nope. I'm not sure what you're talking about."

Jisung said, "I think you do, though." His tone was soft and knowing. He was urging Seungmin to spill his secrets. 

And fuck... It was working. 

"N-no..." Seungmin trailed off, not meeting their gazes. He felt a soft hand on his chin lift his head up and found Felix leaning over the table. His touch was gentle. 

"Seungmin, it looks like you're hurting yourself with what you're doing." Felix said. "Will you at least tell us how you feel?"

"Bad." Seungmin mumbled. "I don't like it. But I'm just... I can't." He wasn't sure why he was opening up to them, especially since it was _Felix and Jisung,_ the loudest in their friend group. But the way they spoke made him feel warm. 

"Can't what?" Jisung asked. 

Seungmin pulled away and dropped his forehead onto the table, muttering under his breath. 

"You don't have to tell us anything else if you really don't want to, but we just want to help." Felix said. 

Seungmin groaned. "Stop doing that!" 

"Doing what?" Felix's tone was amused.

"Making me feel... Like... Like you care! Like I can trust you..."

"Oh Seungminnie, of course you can." Jisung patted Seungmin's head. "You can trust us with whatever. We're better at keeping secrets than you'd think." 

Seungmin tilted his head and looked at the two elders, sighing. He did trust them, unfortunately. "I don't want to like him. Him or Jeongin. I can tell that I'm starting to. I don't want to." 

"Why's that?" 

He let out a groan. "If I do, what if they end up deciding that they don't like what they see? I mean, don't you guys tell your boyfriends everything? Every insecure thought you have? Because aren't they supposed to make it feel better? Aren't your friends supposed to cheer you up whenever you're sad?"

"Well... It's not exactly their job... And either way, I don't tell Changbin everything." Felix said with a small laugh. "I still don't think I'm cut out to be a professional dancer like I want to be. Despite loving to dance with them, I feel insecure when I dance with Hyunjin and Minho. They're both amazing! And I know what everyone else -including Changbin- would say. That I'm better than I think. That I'm a great dancer. But those thoughts are still there. I don't have to tell anyone, though. Because I know better than that. They're not true, they're just my insecurities trying to get me down." 

Seungmin looked at Felix in surprise, not realizing all of that was going on in the Aussie's head. 

"And even then, if you need time, that's okay." Jisung spoke up next. He smiled at Seungmin. "Taking your time to figure out your feelings and boundaries is one-hundred percent okay. In fact, I encourage it. Communication is so, so important to a functioning relationship. If you feel like you're getting feelings for Hyunjin and Jeongin, I suggest you speak to them about it. See if they feel what you feel. And if they do, tell them that you're not ready for a serious relationship yet. And try to get comfortable with them."

Seungmin felt tears prick the edges of his eyes, and he blinked them away as fast as he could. He nodded along with what Jisung said, wondering if this was what he'd been missing. This sort of counsel. 

"I don't know what happened to you that made you feel like this, but it's okay to not completely be ready for a relationship like that. Remember to take it slow and that you don't have to start a committed relationship with either of them." Felix added, hand resting on top of Seungmin's. 

Seungmin looked between both of them and then nodded. "Maybe... Maybe I'll try." He whispered. 

# 💔💔💔💔

_jinjinhyun has created a chat!_

_jinjinhyun has added lmh.sdd and binbinchang!_

_jinjinhyun has named the chat [i need cuddles :c]_

**[lmh.sdd]**

go ask woojin

**[jinjinhyun]**

already did

he's on a date w/ chan

**[binbinchang]**

then ask felix

**[jinjinhyun]**

he's doing something w/ seungmin and jisung

**[lmh.sdd]**

jeongin?

**[jinjinhyun]**

he had an exam today :c

you guys were my last resort

**[binbinchang]**

wow thanks :/

**[jinjinhyun]**

i thought i was doing yall a favor

since ur not really touchy people

but okAY GUESS ILL GO HUG A SHARK

**[lmh.sdd]**

awesome

problem solved

**[jinjinhyun]**

D:

**[lmh.sdd]**

-_-

im joking

give me 5 min i guess

**[jinjinhyun]**

:D

**[binbinchang]**

wait

we're agreeing to this??/

**[jinjinhyun]**

...

_jinjinhyun has kicked binbinchang!_

_[a private chat between binbinchang and jinjinhyun]_

**[binbinchang]**

I WAS JOKING

**[jinjinhyun]**

then you can make it up to me by letting me be the big spoon

**[binbinchang]**

i hate you

**[jinjinhyun]**

no you dont

**[binbinchang]**

i beg to differ

...

ill be there in 2 minutes

**[jinjinhyun]**

thought so

# 💔💔💔💔

When Minho and Changbin finally arrived at Hyunjin's house, he threw the door open and immediately pulled both of them into a hug. Minho just patted Hyunjin's back, while Changbin grumbled under his breath. Then Hyunjin stepped aside and let the two of them in. 

They crashed on Hyunjin's couch and the tall boy in question wrapped his arms around Changbin, while Minho did the same to Hyunjin. They stayed like that for a moment, but after a few minutes, Minho said, "So, what's the occasion?"

"What do you mean?" Hyunjin said with a pout. "Can't I ask for affection whenever I want?"

"You only ask _us_ when you're really desperate." Minho pointed out. Normally Hyunjin would accept his fate and wait for someone else (usually Woojin) to hug, but clearly he really needed comfort, because he was asking the two of them. 

Hyunjin huffed as he rested his head on Changbin's shoulder. The witch placed a hand on Hyunjin's head and ruffled his hair. With a pout, Hyunjin said, "Do you think Seungmin and Jeongin are being weird lately?" 

"How so?" Minho asked.

"Seungmin hasn't spoken to me in three days, and Jeongin flinches whenever I touch him. Normally all he'd do is glare at me or something, but now it's like he's scared of me! Am I doing something wrong? Am I coming on too strong? Normally Felix is the one that clings to people too much!" Hyunjin huffed.

Changbin couldn't help but laugh at his last remark, though he composed himself and said, "I don't think you're doing anything wrong... Maybe it's something to do with them?"

Hyunjin huffed. "I don't know. It just... It feels like I'm trying so hard to get _something_ from them, but I'm getting nothing! Like, I get it, they probably won't ever like me the way I like them, but that doesn't mean we have to stop being friends or whatever! I haven't even told them, and it already feels like I'm being rejected!" 

Minho and Changbin exchanged a glance before the eldest of the three said, "Well, what if you did tell them? Maybe they're both going through something." Minho paused, before continuing. "You do realize that Jeongin was dumped, don't you? I mean, it wasn't all that recently, but you know he's still hurt by it." 

With a nod, Hyunjin sighed. "Yeah, I know. Which is why I can't tell them. I can't put that pressure on him. I just hate suffering. This is all making me feel like stupid. Like I don't know how to do anything right." 

"And we hate seeing you suffer. Seriously, Jin. This is hard stuff, sometimes. Feelings are hard to deal with. And you're not stupid." Changbin said. "Oh my god, you're as idiotic as we all were. I think communication issues run in our family." 

"Fake family." Minho stated.

"Yes, fake family." Changbin rolled his eyes. "First Woojin didn't tell Chan about his angel issues, and then Jisung wouldn't tell Minho about his siren issues, and then Felix wouldn't talk to me about why he was so distant, and now you three aren't talking to each other about your own problems." 

Hyunjin giggled. "We're all a big mess, aren't we?"

"Yep." Minho said.

Hyunjin sighed again. "I know I should talk to them... But I want to give them time." 

"Well... Wait a few days, then. If they don't try to talk to you about your issues, then you should bring it up with Chan or Woojin. I think either of them would happily arrange for all three of you to talk it out. And I'm sure that they could mediate and make sure things don't escalate." Changbin said. 

"I mean, yeah. That could work..." Hyunjin mumbled. "But for now, cuddles." 

# 💔💔💔💔

Seungmin wanted to talk to Jeongin and Hyunjin, or at least, he told himself he did. He didn't like being so distant from two of his closest friends, especially since their distance affected everyone in their friend group. But it was hard to find the courage to confront his issues. 

And the only reasonable solution he thought of, was to talk to Chan. 

Seungmin cornered his hyung one afternoon (though in all honesty, he didn't _need_ to), and asked if Chan would be willing to listen to him. Chan had, of course, agreed. So Seungmin found himself sitting in front of the elder, trying to find the right words to make Chan see what was wrong.

"I have... An issue." He said, tentatively.

Chan tilted his head. "So I assumed."

"It's... it's about Hyunjin and Jeongin." Seungmin continued, grimacing. "And why we've been so... I dunno... distant."

Chan nodded, face neutral. His emotionless expression made it easier for Seungmin to get the words out.

"I just... I like them. As in, _like_ like them. What I mean is... I have feelings for them. Both of them. I think." He sighed. "I just... I don't know how to deal with it. I want to be with them, but I don't. Like, I can't let them close to me, but I want to." 

"And why can't you?" Chan asked. 

Seungmin bit his lip as he looked at his hyung, wondering if he could finally tell someone. He took a deep breath and told Chan everything about his incident with his two friends from his family pod. When he was finished, he let out a sigh and looked up at Chan again.

The elder's brows were furrowed, and he reached a hand up and laid it on top of Seungmin's. "I'm sorry that happened to you," The elder said. "And I know how hard it can be to forget the past, especially when you've been so deeply affected by it. But I know for a fact that neither Jeongin nor Hyunjin would let you get hurt like that. Hyunjin is far too sweet for that, and we both know that despite being a little dipshit, he's very sincere." 

They both smiled at that.

Chan continued. "And Jeongin knows how emotionally scarring it can be to be left like that. He knows how easy it is to break someone's trust. And he knows how fragile emotions are. I think the two of you would take time to get close like that, but if you worked through it, spoke to them, and took your time, I know the three of you could work it all out. I'm not saying that the three of you will end up together, but I am saying that I know you are all close enough to handle something like this." 

Seungmin looked at Chan, tears gathering in his eyes. He ducked his head as they spilled down his cheeks. "Thank you..." He croaked out. "I just... I don't want to lose what we already have. But I know it will hurt to ignore my feelings. I just don't know what to do." 

"Talk to them. Nothing will ever get done if you don't communicate. Trust me. If Woojin and I had just talked through our issues, we would have been spared a lot of pain. You three are already in pain. Now c'mere." Chan stood up and pulled Seungmin into a hug, which the younger easily accepted. 

# 💔💔💔💔

Jeongin was also having an inspirational talk with one of the hyungs, though his was unintentional. He'd invited Woojin to go flying with him since he needed the practice, and it'd been a while since he'd hung out with their eldest friend. Woojin had agreed, and now they were flying over the ocean, occasionally dipping down and splashing each other with the saltwater. It was nice to be just the two of them. 

"Man, if only we could convince Minho to come out with us!" Jeongin said, arms spread wide as he glided with his bat-like wings. 

Woojin laughed. "Right, right. I doubt he'll ever do it, though. He doesn't like flying over the ocean. Prefers the city, for some reason." 

"The city?" Jeongin questioned. 

"He goes on nightly flights. Much like how the merfolk go on nightly swims." Woojin explained. Then he glanced at Jeongin. "Speaking of the merfolk... I've noticed you haven't been hanging out with them recently."

Jeongin looked away and said, "I just been busy, that's all." 

"You didn't seem very busy yesterday when you were practicing magic with Changbin." Woojin pointed out. Then he sighed. "I'm not trying to attack you. Far from it, actually. I just want you to be happy, and you've been really down, lately. Is there something bothering you? You can tell me, you know." 

Jeongin pouted. "I know... But... This is just... I can't. I can't do it. My brain tells me that it's bad, even though my heart says the opposite." 

"That what's bad?" 

"..." Jeongin closed his eyes. "Liking Hyunjin and Seungmin." 

"Oh, Jeonginnie..." Woojin frowned, glancing at the younger. Woojin's expression was sad. "I'm sorry. That must be scary. But why are you trying to avoid them? That will only make the situation worse. Trust me, I know." 

He and Jeongin both laughed a little. "I know... But... I don't want to face it, I guess. And I know that's bad, but it's hard. It's so hard. They're my friends, they won't, I dunno, try to hurt me or anything. But my brain tells me that they will. That I should stop thinking about them. That this is bad for me. It hurts! It feels like I'm being torn in two!" 

Woojin reached out and grabbed Jeongin's hand. "Here, let's rest our wings for a bit." He pulled Jeongin down, and the two landed in the cool ocean. Jeongin began floating on his back. Woojin glanced at him as he swam. "I'm sure you've already guessed what I'm going to say, but I'll say it anyways. Talk to them. If your heart tells you that you should be with them, then listen to it. But I'd say you should also listen to your brain. What I mean is, take it slowly. Get used to them, first. And I mean, get used to them in a more intimate way. I don't recommend dating them right away. But I do think that you should try getting closer. If it's too much for you, tell them so. They'll both back off. If you want to go further, tell them that, too." 

"I hate when you guys are smarter than me..." Jeongin mumbled. 

"I've just made mistakes and learned from them." Woojin stated. "Speak to them. Talk it out. If you need help, I will gladly help you. But tell them what's on your mind." 

"I- that's so scary though..." Jeongin whispered. "What if they don't actually like me? I know they're not going to ridicule me or anything, but what if they don't want to try?"

Woojin shook his head. "I've seen the three of you together. There's definitely something _mutual_ going on between all of you." 

"I-" He had no further arguments. "I'll try..." 

# 💔💔💔💔

The next time Seungmin saw Hyunjin, he immediately pulled the elder aside. "Listen.... We need to talk. You, Jeongin, and I." He said. He wasn't going to beat around the bush. Chan's talk had given him courage, and he needed to act before he lost it.

Hyunjin just nodded, not quite sure what exactly was happening. 

Seungmin saw Jeongin a day later, and he did the same to the younger. "Jeongin... I know we haven't spoken much lately... But I think we need to talk." 

Jeongin nodded. "We do... There's... We've made some mistakes, I think." He said.

Seungmin looked at him in surprise, but returned the nod.

They agreed to talk to each other the day after the next, which was Saturday (mostly because Hyunjin and Seungmin had classes on Friday). 

# 💔💔💔💔

"You can do this..." Hyunjin whispered to himself as he stood in front of Woojin and Chan's apartment. The three decided to talk there, since the elder two of their friend group were out, and it would be a safe environment where they all felt comfortable. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door in. He poked his head into the entrance, and noticed two sets of shoes already placed by the door. 

He walked inside and took his shoes off after shutting the door. Hyunjin placed them next to Seungmin's shoes, and walked further into the apartment. He looked into the living room and found Jeongin curled up on a beanbag, one of Woojin and Chan's pillows clutched in his arms. Seungmin was sitting on the armchair, hands neatly folded on his lap. 

Hyunjin sat down on the couch, noticing how tense the atmosphere was. Seconds ticked by as they all just stared at each other, no one willing to be the first to start the conversation. As the silence dragged on, Hyunjin could see Seungmin visibly get more and more frustrated. 

Eventually, Seungmin said, "Okay! Enough! We're all here, we're supposed to be talking and fixing things, but no one wants to! I'll just start, I guess. I want to talk to you guys about my feelings." Seungmin paused, looking nervous after his little outburst. "I... I like you both. What I mean is, I want to date both of you. But," he grimaced, "-I don't. I don't, because it's terrifying. I haven't told anybody besides Chan this, but when I was younger, I had two friends in my family pod. Something bad happened, and when they could have helped me, they left me. I might have died or at least been really hurt that day if my brother hadn't saved me.

"And then when I asked them about it, and told them how scared I'd been, they mocked me. They told me that they didn't want to listen to my problems. They said that I needed to grow up and stop whining." Seungmin took in a deep breath, furiously wiping away the tears that had started falling. "It took me such a long time to learn to trust again. It took a long time before I really trust any of you guys. And I really want to be with you, but that takes an altogether different kind of trust." 

"I... I actually want to be with both of you as well." Hyunjin said. His voice was quiet. "I didn't want to tell either of you because that would put pressure on you. But anyways, we're already here so I guess it doesn't matter. I want to be with you guys, but I know that you both clearly have issues that would need to be worked through. And I get that. But it... it hurts. It felt like you guys were already denying my feelings, even though I hadn't even told you about them. I don't know..." He trailed off, covering his face with his arms as he tried to stop crying.

Jeongin started speaking. "I'm sorry we made you feel like that, Jinnie. I just find it hard to think about doing... all that, again. I know you guys aren't like him, I know that. But I can't help but feel like something will go wrong. Like, it's all going to fall apart the moment we try to put it together. I don't want to feel like that, and I want to be with you. But... But it's hard. It's so hard. I'm scared." He was glad that they both felt the same way, but he wasn't sure if this was a mistake or not yet.

"Well..." Seungmin started. "I was talking to Chan the other day... He suggested that we talk about it, and that we try to... Try to get closer. I want to, but I want to do it slowly. I don't think... I don't think I'd be able to do anything big right now. I need to know that I can trust you guys to let me take it at my own pace. And I think you both need that reassurance too." 

Jeongin and Hyunjin both nodded. 

"S-so we take it slow? And if someone feels uncomfortable, we back off?" Jeongin asked.

"Yeah." Hyunjin said. "If you guys are willing to work for this, so am I. I don't care if it takes years. I like you guys a lot." 

Jeongin and Seungmin blushed at that, and Jeongin buried his face in the pillow. 

"So... Um... Since we're starting out small... How about we try going on a date?" Hyunjin asked. 

"Sounds good to me." Seungmin said. 

Jeongin nodded in agreement. 

"Well, since all the scary stuff is out of the way, are you guys up for cuddles? Or is that too soon?" Hyunjin laughed nervously. 

In response to the question, Jeongin and Seungmin both shot up and tackled Hyunjin on the couch, the three of them ending up in a giggling pile on the floor. Now that they had gotten everything cleared up between them, it felt nice to be able to be close again.

#  💝💝💝💝

**_4 months later..._ **

There were ups and downs to Hyunjin, Jeongin, and Seungmin's relationship. They had setbacks, and all sorts of things that kept them from progressing. But they worked through the roadblocks that came their way. There was just one final roadblock that Hyunjin wanted to work through... 

"Do you think they'll agree?" He asked Felix, frowning as he tied his shoelaces (double knotted, because he's an intellectual). 

"Yes, I'm one-hundred percent certain, just like the past five times you've asked me." Felix said, rolling his eyes. "They will definitely agree. You guys have come really far." 

Hyunjin and Felix shared a smile, before the taller merman stood up. He took in a deep breath and walked out the door. He was meeting Seungmin and Jeongin at the cove because he wanted them to all hang out there. But what they didn't know, was that he had something else planned as well. 

When he finally reached the cove, he was glad that he was the first one there. Well, of course he was the first one there, because he'd told them to come at 7, and it was only 5. He had 2 hours to get everything ready. 

The majority of the first hour he spent stringing fairy lights all around the cove. On the trees, the rocks, basically any surface he could drape them across. And then the second hour he spent putting up photos. Most of them were Polaroids taken from Seungmin's camera. A few were digital ones that he'd printed off. Hyunjin strung them across the cove and when he was finished, he sat back to admire his work. 

He was finished just in time, because he heard the crunching of footsteps, and turned around to see Jeongin and Seungmin climbing over the rocks that hid the entrance to the cove. As soon as they saw the cove, their mouths dropped open.  


"W-what's this for?" Seungmin asked. 

Hyunjin rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... I had something important to ask, and I didn't want to be boring about it or anything. Maybe cheesy, but not boring." He laughed. "Um, I had a whole speech planned, but I'm honestly making this up right now." 

"No surprise." Seungmin stated, though he was smiling. 

"Well, um, anyways..." Hyunjin sighed. "We've been through a lot together. Like, a lot! But we've stayed by each other's sides throughout it all. And that honestly means so much to me. You guys mean so much to me." He gestured to the pictures all around them. 

"We've captured some of our best moments, even some of our worst and most embarrassing moments." He paused, looking them both in the eyes. "And I want us to capture even more of these moments. But as boyfriends." 

At this point, Jeongin openly sobbed, clutching onto Seungmin. Hyunjin startled and rushed over to the youngest. "Oh my god, did I say something wrong?! I'm sorry!" 

Jeongin shook his head, still crying. He pulled Hyunjin into the hug and when he was finally calm enough he whispered, "I'd be honored to call the two of you my boyfriends." After that, he gave them both a kiss on the cheek. They'd all kissed each other at least once before, but they mostly stuck to cheek kisses.

"I would as well." Seungmin added after a few moments. "You guys mean the world to me. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out." He specifically glanced at Hyunjin when he said that.

Hyunjin shook his head. "Don't say that. You needed to figure things out, and that's okay. It's important that we all are on the same page. I'm just happy that we can be together." He paused. "Does this mean we're boyfriends?"

"Of course." "Yeah."

"Good. That means I can do this!" Hyunjin wrapped his arms around Seungmin's neck and pulled the younger merman closer, pressing their lips together. After an initial moment of shock, Seungmin kissed Hyunjin back, his arms snaking around the taller male's waist.

Jeongin whined at them and wriggled in between them, demanding their attention. Hyunjin smiled and tilted Jeongin's head up by his chin and kissed the half-demon as well. Seungmin rested his head on Jeongin's shoulder and watched the two with a fond smile. When they all pulled apart, Seungmin said, "Wanna bet on how long it will take everyone else to notice?"

"10 bucks. Woojin notices right away but doesn't say anything, Chan notices next and freaks out, and Changbin notices it last." Jeongin smirked confidently. 

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. "15. You're right about Woojin, but Chan notices last and Minho is the one to point it out." He paused for a moment. "Never mind, it's Jisung." 

They both looked at Seungmin expectantly. "I will be an impartial spectator on this one. I'm broke." 

#  💝💝💝💝

Woojin eyed Jeongin and Seungmin, clearly noticing the way that their fingers were intertwined. It took the others a few more minutes to notice, but after Hyunjin draped himself across their laps and Seungmin began to run a hand through his fellow merman's hair, pretty much everyone except Chan was aware. 

Jisung said, "Wow... Looks like everyone's very comfortable today." He smirked in the trio's direction. 

Chan looked at the siren in confusion, before following Jisung's gaze to the mermen and half-demon who were all blatantly cuddling at this point. It took him a few seconds before his face lit up and his mouth dropped open. "Y-you guys...? You figured it out...? Like, you're actually together?!" 

"No." Jeongin stated with a deadpan expression. "We've decided to stay friends." He added, as Hyunjin and Seungmin shared a kiss next to him. 

Chan's face tinted pink as he averted his eyes, mumbling, "I'm not an idiot." 

Rolling his eyes, Jeongin leaned against Hyunjin. It felt nice when Hyunjin wrapped an arm around the younger, and even better when Seungmin leaned over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. It had taken them a while to get there, but it had all been worth it in the end. 

"Wait! Jeongin you owe me 15 bucks! Chan noticed last and Jisung pointed it out!" Hyunjin exclaimed, a grin on his face. 

Chan glared at him. "You bet on us?!" 

"Of course I did." Hyunjin said. 

"And you allowed this?!" Chan looked at Seungmin. 

"Of course I did." Seungmin smirked as Chan's mouth dropped open. 

"You're all hopeless." Changbin stated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you notice how the emojis changed at the end? also, speaking of the end, i was half-way through writing it, when I realized that i basically replicated a scene from dark blue kiss XD. whoops! well, credits to dbk for that i guess lmao
> 
> anyways, ugh this series has been quite the journey! it started out much MUCH different. it was only going to be one story, would have kidnapping and an epic chase scene (take my word for it XD) and there was even a part where jeongin was convinced that 3racha were drug addicts (they weren't actually). oh and not to mention, the sirens had code names for the non-merfolk.
> 
> but i'm glad it turned out like this, because i've had a lot more fun with this series! i actually had to force myself to write some parts of this, since i couldn't get motivated for it, but i dont regret any of it! i'm super happy that i was actually able to get this out before school started, because i'm honestly not sure if i'll be able to write anything during school. (hence the reason I am on a hiatus with my ongoing stories, if you read either of those!)
> 
> anyways, thank you to all who read the stories, gave them kudos, bookmarked them, and commented! you guys are amazing, and it totally makes me so happy when you guys enjoy my stories! i hope that you're all taking care of yourselves in this time of uncertainty, and that you remember that you are an awesome person, and that i love you! 
> 
> so, for now, stay safe/happy/healthy my lovelies!! <33


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